The Washington critic., 1887-03-03
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects of Interest in and About tho
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens and
Other Points of Attraction.
THE WAY TO REACH THEM.

THE WAY TO REACH THEM.
Washington is fast becoming the
most attractive city of the country. AS
the Capital of the Nation 1t presents
more objects Of interest to the visitor
than any other on tho continent, and
brief directory Of It's prominent points
will be of service 10 the vast number of
persons who annually resort to the po.
litical metropolis. For II Is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay a visit every year to this
city TO behold the varied objects of in.
terest which so thickly stud the his.
toric "Ten Miles Square"
The system of Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal system, as
adopted IN philadelphia, Is used-one hun
dred numbers being allotted TO each square
OF blpck-coinnenOing ut First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, A street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. The odd mum
hers are always on tho fieht.hand side, GO
Ing from the Capitol. and the even numbers
On the ieithand side. Tho city Is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast and
northwest southeast and southwest, the
streets being designated accordingly; those
running north and south numerically, and
those running east and west by the letters
ct the alphabet, the dividing lir 5 being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on "a line due north aud south from the Cap
itol and East Capitol street and 4 continua-
ton on the same west OF the Capitol run
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
This great building Is the central point OF the
Original District and Is the largest edifce
in the country. Its centre marks tho Me-
ridian OF Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, Is tho part
FIRST built II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1874, but wlls completely restored
by ls97. 1t incloscs tho "crypt'-where the
remains Of Washington Were intended to be
placed, the Library, the ROtlnda, the old
Representatives Hall, nov the Gallery of
statuary, and the old Senate Chamber now
the supreme Courtroom. The old supreme
Courtroom, in the first story, is now occu-
pied by the Law Branch OF the Library.
Tle cornerstone of the Capitol extension
the north and south wlngs-was laid July I,
ie5l. Daniel Webster delivering the Grafton
of the occasion from tho balcony OF the
Library. Tile south wing contains the
House of Representatives. and the north
wingthe Senate Chamber. rherotunda is dis.
tinguished for Its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their has
Telets, and for Brumidi's tresColngs. In the
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures of
iOIOUlht 1luIDlt, representing lutts OF Ger
tain. American statcsmon-n picturesque
freak of nature. From tho little rOtunta,
Immediately north Of the great rOtunda, the
staircase to the top of the dome begins It's
winding way From the top of the dome or
as far as the visitor can ascend, the view
OF tho surrounding country Is magnificent.
The Capitol grounds, which formerly were
homely and formal In appearance, have
park and are now most oxquisitely beauti.
iul. The east base OF the Capitol is S9H
feet above ordinary low tide In the Potomac.
The total height from east base to the top
OF the temple covering the dome Is 2SS feet
the statue of the Goddess of Liberty, 1910
feet making the total height to the crest of
The, statue a0!1G feet. This crest Is 1850 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 800 feet above low tide In the Potomac
or 2iS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
inrton Monument, which is Immediately
west. The building Is i5i feet long by 3si
VIDE ana covers S w dir 3GTes u Is me nrii ngit
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. 1t Is moreover the growth of
less than century-a fact which adds to
iol, or centre building, Is an imitation,
though not II slayish one, of the Maison
Canee at Nismes. The view from the west
portlco at night, when the lamps are lit in
the public grounds and the lights of the city
illuminate the darkness Is one of the most
beautiful and picturesque In the world and
Is well worth u journey of a thousand miles
to sec.
The white House.
From the west balcony oil the capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
House Is seen rearing Its snowy hued walls
obove the dense mass of foliage that en-
bowers i, like 9 gigantic Gala lily sprlRHggns
II not for the partly Intervening Treasury
building the view of the White House from
the Capitol would be full and complete. The
" hlte House il the center Of "Up.town,n as
the Capitol Ia the center of Down town
1t Is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front ofthe city, as the view from the north
up sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section to the gaze.
The White House Is n copy of the palace of
the Duke of Loinster at Dublin, with the
addition of II large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew JHcksOn's
administration. The reservation In which
It stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. II Is two
stories high on the north Is built of white
trce.stune, 100 feet long by So wide. II con-
tains on the first door the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recep-
tion room and the hodrawingroom of the ladies
Of his family. Tho East Room, originally
designed for a banquet hall and so used as
late as 1887, and III the latter part of the
century used us a drying-room for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, is the largest and
most noted room In the building. 1t Is -
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. 1t Is
open to visitors every day except Sundays.
Upstairs are the Cabinet room, the private
Offices, the Presidents office, the library
and the family apartments. All these
rooms except the latter arc open TO visitors,
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
Due north from the White House Is Lafayette
Square, the first public reservation In Wash
irgton that was improved. 1t contains the
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, by
CLARK Mills Many of Its trees arc old forest
nCnarCls, hundreds of years Old. II is In
part a specimen of the old formal landscape
gardening so fashionable In England two
hundred years ago, style that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Square
was, one hundred years ago, part ( a grave
yard that enclosed the square north, on
which ST. Johns Church Is built, and the
square east, on which are situated the At
tOrney Generals office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the Surgeon Generals Office
ana Riggs Bank (both In the building for
mtrly used as the United States Bankl
Commodore Decaturs house. corner FIT
teenth ard ahalf and II streets, and the
old club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was k He'd by Daniel L. sicklcs, Mem
Ter Cf Congress from New York. The last
bodies from this graveyard Were not re
moved until 1919.
kt. JGhn'H =. T.. Church.
ST. lom's p. L. Church, which nuS bccr otter
called tho state IluEph bgplusD mora hlysl